Slip and fall accidents happen all the time, but while many only result in minor injuries, just as many cause serious injuries that require medical attention. Over 1 million people in Chester County and across the country visit the emergency room every year due to slip and fall accidents, but it’s not all bad. The good news is that whether you live in Paoli, Chester Springs, West Chester, or anywhere else in the Chester County area, HoeyLegal has an experienced slip and fall attorney who can help.
Here at HoeyLegal, we know just how serious slip and fall accidents can be. From medical bills and wages lost during recovery to long-lasting medical consequences that reduce one’s quality of life, it’s not hard for a slip and fall accident to turn your life upside down in an instant.
Our team of premises liability experts has a deep understanding of the obligation that property owners have to keep their properties safe. If they fail to do this and you get injured, we’ll act quickly to preserve evidence, document the scene of the accident, and craft a strong, trial-ready case that ensures you get the compensation you deserve.
Don’t let someone else’s carelessness derail your financial stability and quality of life. If you were recently involved in a slip-and-fall accident, contact HoeyLegal and partner with a Paoli slip and fall attorney who will fight for your rights to the very end.
Understanding Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents may seem trivial at first, but they can be a lot more complicated and dangerous than you might think. Life-altering slip and fall injuries are common, and they often happen because a property owner failed to maintain a safe environment.
At HoeyLegal, our goal is to ensure that Chester County residents in West Chester, Paoli, Chester Springs, and surrounding areas have the knowledge and tools they need to seek justice and obtain compensation for their losses.
If you are a recent victim of a slip and fall accident, here is everything you need to know.
Pennsylvania Premises Liability Law
The concept of premises liability is crucial to understanding slip and fall cases. In Pennsylvania, premises liability law states that property owners, landlords, business operators, and anyone else responsible for maintaining a property have a legal obligation to keep the premises safe for visitors. This duty of care helps ensure the safety of all individuals who visit the premises.
Failure to uphold this duty of care or provide a warning of hazardous conditions leaves the property owner liable for any injury that occurs. This is why you often see wet floor signs in stores after they mop, or why it’s essential that homeowners shovel and salt their sidewalks after it snows.
Additionally, property owners have different obligations depending on the circumstances of the visit. These laws distinguish between three different types of visitors, including:
- Invitees: customers who are owed the highest level of duty of care.
- Licensees: guests or passersby who must also be protected from known dangers
- Trespassers: are usually offered the least amount of protection, though some obligations still apply, especially in the case of children.
Ultimately, if you slip and fall on someone else’s property due to their negligence or inability to keep their property safe, they are most likely liable for your injuries, allowing you to seek compensation to recover your losses.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents are so common because they can happen almost anywhere. From malls and shopping centers to residential buildings, restaurants, hotels, parking lots, sidewalks, and more, all of these are prime locations for duty of care violations that can lead to slip and fall injuries. Some of the most common causes of these injuries include:
- Wet or freshly mopped floors with no warning signs
- Icy walkways and parking lots
- Uneven or broken pavement or sidewalks
- Loose floor mats, rugs, or carpets
- Insufficient lighting in stairwells, hallways, parking lots, streets, and alleys
- Unreasonable clutter or debris in walkways
- Damaged handrails or stairs
In most of these situations, the property owner or operator is aware of these hazards but fails to address them in a reasonable amount of time. If this is the case, they can and should be held liable for any injury that occurs.
Common Injuries From Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and falls are a leading cause of injury in the US, with older adults having a particularly high risk of sustaining major injuries. Even what may look like a minor fall can cause long-term, life-changing damage. Here at HoeyLegal, some of the most common slip and fall injuries that our clients suffer from include:
- Head Injuries, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Fractures and Broken Bones, especially wrists, ankles, and hips
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Sprains, Strains, and other soft tissue damage
- Chronic Pain and Mobility Issues
- Psychological Trauma, including anxiety, or PTSD
All of these injuries or conditions have the potential to drastically reduce your quality of life and limit your ability to work. If they happen to you, you have the right to seek compensation.
Who May Be Liable in a Slip and Fall Accident?
As you know, slip and fall accidents can happen almost anywhere. This means that there is a wide variety of potential liable parties, depending on the exact location where the accident occurred. The party liable for your accident could potentially include:
- Commercial Property Owners, such as store or restaurant owners
- Residential Landlords, especially in apartment buildings or rental homes
- Tenants or Homeowners, if they control the area where the accident occurred
- Maintenance Companies are responsible for maintaining the property
- Government Entities, for public property like parks and public sidewalks
Our expert legal team conducts thorough investigations to identify the at-fault party responsible for your slip and fall accident. Regardless of whether you know who could be liable or not, our team of Chester County slip and fall lawyers is here to help.
What Compensation Can You Expect From Your Slip and Fall Case?
It’s impossible to estimate the total amount of compensation owed after a slip and fall accident without knowing the exact details of the case. However, slip and fall victims generally receive compensation for three different types of damages, including:
- Economic Damages: easily calculable damages that result from medical expenses, lost wages, property damages, or funeral expenses in the case of wrongful death
- Non-Economic Damages: harder to calculate damages, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, reductions in quality of life, etc.
- Punitive Damages: extremely rare damages awarded in cases of extreme negligence or malicious intent.
Every slip-and-fall case is different, and the value of your specific claim can vary on a wide variety of factors. Our team will work with you to calculate the full scope of damages so that you receive every penny of what you deserve.
Why Choose HoeyLegal for All Your Paoli Slip and Fall Attorney Needs
Here at HoeyLegal, we’re proud to be the most trusted slip and fall law firm in the Chester County area. We don’t just offer expert legal advice. We’re committed to giving you the personalized attention and compassionate advocacy you deserve when dealing with such hard times.
Choosing the right legal representation after a slip and fall accident can make all the difference in the outcome of your case, but we also understand how daunting making that decision can be. If you are a recent slip and fall victim in West Chester, Paoli, Chester Springs, or anywhere else in Chester County, here are just a few of the many reasons why you should choose HoeyLegal as your slip and fall attorney.
Specialized Experience with a Local Edge
We’ve been representing slip and fall clients all over the Chester County area for decades. We don’t just have a superior level of slip and fall case experience. We’re also deeply familiar with Chester County courts, judges, and insurance adjusters, which allows us to ensure that you get the maximum compensation possible.
Rapid Response Investigation Team
Gathering and preserving evidence is always of the utmost importance in slip and fall cases, and property owners may act quickly to cover up or alter the scene of the accident. We understand this better than anyone, which is why we employ on-call investigators and photographers who are ready to document and preserve evidence at a moment’s notice.
Proven Results
Nothing speaks like proven results, and with countless slip and fall cases under our belts and tens of millions of dollars won for our clients, our undeniable track record of success speaks for itself.
Free, No-Obligation Legal Consultations
We believe that everyone deserves access to expert legal advice after an accident, and we’re proud to offer all of our potential clients free, no-obligation legal consultations. With HoeyLegal, you’ll always be able to get the expert counsel you need to make the right decision for you.
No Fees Unless We Win
We also believe that seeking justice shouldn’t come with any financial risks. If you have a case, we’ll always fight for you to the very end, and we’ll never charge you any fees unless we get money for you.
Our Proven Legal Process for Chester County Slip and Fall Cases
From juggling your recovery and medical bills to navigating the complex legal system, the aftermath of a slip and fall accident can be incredibly overwhelming. We aim to make things as simple as possible by following our proven legal process that puts you and recovery first while we handle all the legal complexities in the background.
When you choose HoeyLegal, here is what you can expect from every step of the process.
Free Consultation and Case Evaluation
Every slip and fall claim begins with a free consultation where we’ll take the time to get to know you and every detail of your case. We’ll explain all of your rights and legal options, and if we believe you have a strong case and you’re committed to pursuing it, we’ll move forward as quickly as possible.
Investigation and Evidence Gathering
Strong evidence is the backbone of every case, and our team of investigators and photographers will work without delay to document the scene of the accident, gather relevant documents and surveillance footage, and locate witnesses who can provide testimony on your behalf.
Establishing Liability and Building Your Case
Once we have all the evidence, we’ll use that to establish liability and build a trial-ready case that crafts a clear and powerful narrative that shows just how much the accident has negatively affected your life.
Negotiation with Insurance Companies
Now that we have your case, it’s time to negotiate with the insurance companies. Insurance companies will almost definitely try to give you a low-ball offer that pales in comparison to what you claim is actually worth, but we’ll utilize our decades of experience and aggressive negotiation tactics to ensure that you get the maximum compensation possible.
Trail Ready Advocacy if Necessary
Most slip and fall claims are settled outside of court, but that won’t stop us from taking your case to the courtroom if necessary. If the insurance companies refuse to give you a fair settlement, we’ll happily move on to defending your rights in court.
Contact HoeyLegal Today
Are you a recent victim of a slip and fall accident in Chester County? Are you looking for an experienced slip and fall attorney in the Paoli, Chester Springs, or West Chester, PA areas who can help you get the compensation you deserve? Give us a call or contact us on our website.
Our team of slip and fall premises liability experts is always here to answer your questions and will happily tell you more about how we can help you win your case. We’ll even work with you to schedule a free, no-obligation legal consultation so that you can get the expert legal advice you need without having to make any big financial decisions beforehand.
No one deserves to get stuck with medical bills and life-changing injuries, especially when someone else’s negligence is to blame. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Contact a Paoli slip and fall attorney from HoeyLegal and take the first step toward justice and fair compensation for your slip and fall injuries today!